


Stronger together

by HellFireANH



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Comfort, Denial of Feelings, Endgame Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, F/F, Feelings, Feelings Realization, Heavy Angst, Hurt, Hurt Kara Danvers, Idiots in Love, Kara Danvers Needs a Hug, Lena Luthor Gets Therapy, Lena Luthor Knows Kara Danvers Is Supergirl, Lena Luthor Needs Therapy, Lena Luthor Needs a Hug, Lesbian Lena Luthor, Post-Supergirl (TV 2015) Season 5, Running Away, Sad Kara Danvers, Sad Lena Luthor, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:02:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27776557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HellFireANH/pseuds/HellFireANH
Summary: After defeating Lex and Leviathan, Lena is unable to deal with the aftermath of her actions. She leaves National City without an explanation, hurting severely Kara in the process. After several months, however, the brunette realizes her mistake and tries to mend their relationship. What happens next? Will the two star-crossed lovers get the happy ending they deserve?
Relationships: Alex Danvers & Kara Danvers, Alex Danvers & Lena Luthor, Kara Danvers & Lena Luthor, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 14
Kudos: 125





	1. Aftermath

The night was dark and silent. The air was cold and filled with a sense of hopelessness. The streets were currently empty. There were no lights left on in the buildings. Most people were already sleeping peacefully in their beds. Only one light could still be seen so late into the evening. One office located on the top floor of L-Corp was still illuminating the night sky. Inside of it, Lena Luthor was still working as determined as ever, filling sheet after sheet of paperwork. It was long after the end of a normal workday, but that didn’t stop the genius. She didn’t care that she was the only one left in the building, that she was supposed to be home hours ago. Going home meant that she would be alone in her cold, lifeless penthouse. So instead, she chose to focus on work. This way, at least she was doing something productive that could benefit others. That’s what her life had become. Ever since she left National City behind and moved to Metropolis. She didn’t even have a serious reason to move, but she couldn’t deal with the fallout of her actions. So instead of facing the consequences of her bad decisions like an adult would do, she left. She could still remember the day like it was yesterday. With her help, Kara and the others had eventually defeated both Lex and Leviathan, and for once the city was safe. However, having no treats around meant that she and a certain blue-eyed Kryptonian would have to talk. They would have to discuss everything that happened between them ever since Lena found out about Kara’s secret, including every stupid, reckless thing she had done when working with Lex. So to say Lena was afraid would be the understatement of the century. She was terrified that her former best friend would look at her as a villain. So she did the only thing that made sense to her at the time, she ran away. She packed her things and got onto the first flight to Metropolis, leaving her life behind. When she landed, she headed towards the only safe place she knew and prayed that Sam wouldn’t turn her away. Of course, Sam didn’t tell her to leave and instead welcomed her with open arms, saying that she could stay for as long as she wanted. The taller woman, however, was also concerned as to why exactly Lena was there. The green-eyed genius was reluctant to answer this question at first but eventually decided that the least she could do was tell Sam the truth. The woman had been nothing but loyal to Lena ever since the two girls met. This is why she decided to tell her everything. Starting with how she killed Lex and learned Kara’s true identity and concluding with the fallout of her actions. By the end of her little monologue, the CEO was a sobbing mess. She was also extremely grateful when the brown-eyed woman wrapped her arms around her and hugged her until she stopped crying. When the raven-haired woman calmed down enough, however, Sam told her that what she did was probably not the best option. Leaving without explanation wouldn’t solve anything and will instead only lead to further complications. Lena listened carefully to what her friend was saying, but in the end, remained stubborn and chose to stay in Metropolis. Her friend only asked her to do one thing, and that was to talk to someone who can help her with her emotional problems. She said that the young Luthor had too many hidden feeling inside of her that would eventually tear her apart. So the next day Lena did two things. Firstly, she announced that she was moving back to Metropolis, stating that she worked on new projects in the city, and secondly, booked an appointment with a therapist. Admittedly, the second one was much harder and took a lot more convincing. It the end, however, Lena agreed that it was necessary. From there, the CEO started to fall into a new routine that consisted of work and occasional visits from Sam and Ruby. After some time, though, her friend had to move to another country because of a necessary business deal, and she would have to stay there for twelve months. At first, the brunette hesitated, saying that she wanted to be there for Lena, but the green-eyed girl told her to go. She didn’t want to be holding her friend behind and stopping her from living her life to the fullest potential. After a lot of discussing, Sam agreed under the condition that they talked at least twice a week and kept each other informed about everything. After the brunette left, Lena was left completely alone. Gone were the friendly lunches and long nights of talking. So, the young Luthor did what she did best and focused onto her work. She worked tirelessly for hours every day and barely even slept. She also continued with her therapy sessions and eventually found that they did help, but the progress was slow. Through all of this, there was a constant pain in her chest, reminding her of the one person that she wanted to talk to the most, yet lacked the courage to do so. She was also faced with the reality that Kara probably didn’t even want to talk anymore. After all, the young genius left without explanation and ignored the Kryptonian’s texts and calls until she eventually stopped trying. This realisation was crushing Lena, but she was too stubborn to do anything about it. She convinced herself that it was better this way, that Kara was better off without her. 

Was Kara doing better thou? If anyone asks, she is always answering the typical “I’m fine”. She couldn’t say something different. She had responsibilities as both a CatCo reporter and as National City’s protector. This meant that she couldn’t be weak. She couldn’t be vulnerable. She shouldn’t be hurt. She had to carry the burden of protecting an entire city and sometimes even the entire planet on her shoulders. There wasn’t anyone else who could do that, who could understand. Sure, there were other heroes around, but they were protecting their cities and dealing with their problems. The Kryptonian didn’t want to burden anyone else with her emotional pain. So she kept pretending.

In reality, however, Kara was not okay. She was truly devastated. The reporter was yet again abandoned by someone who she loved and cared for. To say the young woman had abandonment issues would be an understatement. Throughout her entire life, she either lost those closest to her, or they left. First, she lost her entire planet, then her cousin, her only living relative left her with a foster family she didn’t know on a new world she didn’t understand. Then her adoptive dad disappeared. On top of that, her friends seemed to be moving on without her. Lucy left, then Winn and James, even her boss and mentor left without so much as a second thought. When someone has experienced as much loss as she has, it should get better right? Wrong. Nothing she has ever been through could prepare her for the hurt she would feel when Lena left. Losing Krypton comes close but losing her best friend, the one person who she could be human with, it felt like her heart was shattered into a thousand pieces. The young genius was Kara’s closest friend. At some point, she had even thought that she felt something more towards her. She was developing feelings that went beyond the borders of their platonic relationship. The Kryptonian even allowed herself to be hopeful, to think that maybe when they finally defeated Lex, she could tell Lena how she felt. Now, however, that’s no longer possible. The CEO is gone. She moved away and is continuing with her life. The worst part was that the blonde blamed herself for it. She broke Lena’s trust and betrayed her. She was the one who used and manipulated her or more accurately Supergirl did. If not for her secret Lena would have never been hurt in the first place. She would still be here. The more the blonde thought about it, the more her emotions started to change. She was still consumed by what seemed like a never-ending sadness, but now there was something more to it. The hero was starting to feel anger. As time passed, that anger only got stronger and stronger. She was furious at herself for ruining their relationship, and she was blaming it all on her superhero persona. If she could be just Kara Danvers, then no one would have gotten hurt in the first place. She was also infuriated by the young Luthor’s decision to leave. The more she thought about it, the more it looked like Lena was running away from everything. She had gone to Metropolis without so much as a goodbye. There was no goodbye, no note, not even a text explaining what happened. Furthermore, when Kara tried to reach out, the CEO was ignoring her. Her texts went unanswered, and so did her phone calls. At one point she wanted to fly out there and find Lena so she can at least see her again. Ultimately, the hero decided against it. If Lena wanted to be left alone, then that’s exactly what the blonde will do.

As the days passed, the Kryptonian was changing more and more. She was no longer the happy, bubbly ray of sunshine that everyone would describe her as. She became much more serious and barely even smiled anymore. In a way, Kara’s state resembled the time she lost Mon-El. She was feeling a lot of similar emotions and was yet again distancing herself from her friends and family. The reporter didn’t want to hang out with her friends or sister anymore. She eventually stopped going to game night as well. Even with all of these similarities, there was still one big difference. She no longer had the desire to be a hero. Slowly but surely her appearances as Supergirl lessened. It reaches a point where she only put on the suit when it was necessary. Instead, she focused on her work as a reporter. She was dedicating a lot more time for her job and writing quite a few articles. The blue-eyed girl still wanted to help people. She didn’t want to do it using her powers. Being Kara Danvers meant she was helping others the human way. This was something she was starting to enjoy more and more. Of course, her behaviour change didn’t go unnoticed by the ones closest to her. Her friends and especially her sister all tried to talk about what happened. They were constantly asking what was going on, but Kara had no desire to have such conversations. It’s not that her friends were doing something bad. She feared that if she tried to talk to them, they would not understand. So Kara continued this routine day after day and tried her best to ignore the emptiness in her chest. She worked day and night to produce quality articles to keep people informed but further than that, she was a cold, emotionless machine. The Kryptonian pushed herself to her limits and barely stopped to rest. She was avoiding sleep with all her might as her dreams were filled with constant terrors. When the reporter closed her eyes, she would often relive some of her worst moments, so avoiding sleep as much as possible was one of Kara’s priorities.

Several months later, the blonde’s career was skyrocketing. As a result of spending so many hours at the office, Kara’s articles were getting more and more recognition. In fact, hours ago she had finished a phone call stating that she was going to be awarded another Pulitzer prize, regarding her latest piece. In reality, the reporter didn’t even care about rewards and recognition. All she was trying to do was help people. That’s why she had written her latest article about a criminal organisation. With it, she had undoubtedly provided evidence for the police to put a lot of the criminals behind bars. During those last months, the Kryptonian was starting to care less and less about a lot of things. She didn’t care if there was a bank robbery nearby or if she hadn’t eaten and slept in a while. The reporter was going through her life as a robot and nothing seemed to be able to change that. She was missing something. Someone who was once her best friend. A person who could always cheer her up when she needed and provide the key to solving every problem. For that, however, there was nothing she could do. For a moment, the blonde considered skipping the award ceremony but eventually decided against it. Her sister would never let her miss something so important. So she picked a marvellous night-blue sleeveless dress, braided her hair and added a little bit of makeup, put on a pair of matching heels and headed towards the event. Little did the Kryptonian know a surprise was waiting for her there.


	2. Second chances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the support on the first chapter! I am glad people are enjoying this. If you have any thoughts or suggestions please leave them in the comments.

There was a lair of thick clouds covering the sky and blocking most of the sunlight. The brunette was getting tired of this. Lena was starting to despise her life in the city. Day after day, she had to deal with endless board meetings and stubborn rich men who thought they knew how to run a company better than her. Besides, the weather conditions were terrible. She was seriously missing her home, back in National City. The one thing she was looking forward to was the appointments with her therapist. At first, Lena was more than reluctant to go because she was afraid to show weakness. The young Luthor grew up in a household that condemned feelings as a flaw. She was always supposed to keep her composure and hold her head high. The green-eyed girl learned never to show her vulnerable side to anyone. Over the years, she chose to keep her emotions in check by putting them in little boxes. This strategy was never a permanent solution, but it worked in most cases. It helped her deal with the fallout of her brother’s actions and even with Andrea’s betrayal. It may not have been the right way, but it was the only way she knew. This strategy, however, proved to be insufficient when she learned Kara’s true identity. The combined emotions from killing her brother and her best friend’s lies were just too much. This lead to her spiralling out of control and eventually making many decisions she now regrets. During her first therapy session, the CEO explained all of this and started discussing what it meant to her. She learned that it was an extremely unhealthy way to deal with such emotional trauma. After that, Lena promised herself to start talking about her feelings instead of hiding them inside of her. At one point, the young genius even started crying and quickly tried to cover her tears but was instantly reassured that nothing shameful had happened. By the end of the session, she felt severely drained but also relieved. She felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Lena still had her demons, but now, the burden felt a little less. 

Her visits to the therapist were the highlight of her week. Other than that, however, her life in Metropolis sucked. Even though she still talks to Sam, it wasn’t the same as before. The brunette missed her friend. The bigger problem was that Lena was missing a certain blonde more and more. At first, she refused to admit it because of her stupid pride and the pain in her chest that presented itself every time she thought about her former friend. As time passed, however, the green-eyed genius was discovering that she wanted to reconnect with the reporter. She desperately wanted to rebuild their relationship once again and maybe even take things to the next level. In one of her therapy sessions, the CEO was asked why Kara’s friendship meant so much to her. That was a question that Lena found herself unable to answer. The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. It didn’t make sense. She had known Sam longer than she had known Kara, and yet no one understood her better. The Kryptonian was the only one who knew all of her secrets and could comfort her the best. The only question that circulated the brunette’s mind was why. Why did Kara’s friendship and approval matter so much to her? Lena looked to her therapist for guidance and saw that she was considering her next words carefully. The therapist's next words completely shocked the CEO. Her therapist suggested that she felt this way because maybe her feelings towards the blonde weren’t only platonic. There weren’t many things that could leave a Luthor speechless, but that did the trick. Lena had no idea what to say. The more she thought about it, the more sense it made. Ever since she first met Kara, she craved her company. Lena wanted to know more about the mysterious blonde. She even went as far as allowing her constant access to her office, which was something she never did. Furthermore, the CEO felt a strong physical attraction towards the Kryptonian and had always found her beautiful. Now that she thought about it, everything started to make a lot more sense. The constant need to be around the blonde, her raising heartbeat every time Kara hugged her and the immense heartbreak she felt when she learned of the reporter’s betrayal. The whole reason why she left National City in the first place was that she was afraid of the hero's rejection. She was scared that Kara would turn her away. The truth was staring Lena in the face, and she didn’t even consider it. Lena Luthor, genius, billionaire, renowned scientist, owner of two million-dollar companies, couldn’t figure out that she loved her best friend. She didn’t just love Kara. She was in love with her.

The discovery hit Lena like a freight train. Her fear wasn’t caused because she was in love with a woman. She had come to terms with her sexuality years ago. The problem consisted of several simple but quite important details. Firstly, Lena was terrible at romantic relationships. In her opinion, she was just too damaged. Every time Lena tried to date someone, it always ended a disaster. After her last attempt with James, she had just given up and decided that love wasn’t for her. Secondly, even if she did tell the Kryptonian how she truly felt, there was no way that Kara would feel the same way. The CEO was sure that her former friend was straight as an arrow and nothing could change that. What was probably the biggest obstacle, however, was the fact that she left without saying goodbye. She just disappeared, leaving everything behind and cutting contact with everyone. She had ignored the blonde’s numerous attempts to reach out until she had eventually given up. All in all, the CEO was screwed. She was in love with the woman she abandoned. The emerald-eyed genius began to panic over not knowing what to do. After several long moments, she concluded that calling Sam was the best option. Pulling out her phone, she dialled Sam’s number hoping the woman wasn’t too busy and could talk. Seconds later, the taller woman answered the phone.

“Hey, Lena! How are you?” said the other woman cheerfully.

“Hi, Sam. Are you free to talk right now? I could use your advice.” asked the raven-haired woman.

“What’s going on? Is everything okay?” replied her friend, her voice filled with worry. 

“Relax, everything is fine. I just…I recently discovered something, and I have no idea what to do.” The CEO spoke quietly.

“Well, tell me what is it so I can help you. You know you can talk to me about everything. I will always have your back.” Sam answered in an encouraging tone.

“Thank you! I appreciate that. After my last therapy session, I realised that I have feelings for someone, and I am so lost, Sam. I messed up bad.” replies the genius, barely holding back her tears.

After several moments, Sam hesitantly continued. “It's Kara, isn’t she? She’s the person you have feelings for?” 

At first, Lena found herself unable to answer. She was just too overwhelmed with her emotions. The young woman was scared and confused. For a moment, she was tempted to put everything in her little boxes but decided against it. The brunette learned first-hand what happened when you hold your feelings inside. She hadn’t realised that she had started crying until she heard her friend’s soothing voice over the phone.

“It’s okay Lee, let it all out. Everything is going to be okay. You are going to be okay.” Sam sounded as determined as always, and eventually, the CEO managed to calm down enough to continue speaking.

“I have no idea what to do, Sam. I messed this up. All I want is to be with her. To look her in her mesmerising blue eyes and to tell her that I love her. God, she probably hates me. I nearly killed her with my technology and then left without so much as a goodbye.” said the young Luthor, afraid.

“Lena, I want you to listen to me carefully. While it is true that Kara may be upset, she could never hate you. You are her best friend and maybe more. Honestly, I have a hunch that your feelings aren’t as one-sided as you think.” replied the taller woman with a firm and determined tone.

“What do I do now?” Lena asked hesitantly.

“Firstly, you are going to book a ticket on the first plane to National City, while I handle everything around L-Corp. It’s about time I get back to the USA anyway. Secondly, pick the most stunning outfit you have because you are going to an award ceremony. I know from a trusted source that Kara is receiving a Pulitzer tonight. Suffice to say you have to be there.” 

“I don’t know, Sam. It’s been months since we last talked. Are you sure it's a good idea?” Lena asked uncertainly.

“Yes, I am sure. If you want to have any relationship with her in the future you have to be there tonight Lena. She is missing you terribly.” spoke the other woman confidently.

“Alright, I am going. May I ask who your trusted source is? Any chance she is a badass redhead?” teased the Luthor.

“Just get on the damn plane.” replied the businesswoman with a huff.

That’s how Lena found herself in the backroom of the venue where the award ceremony was currently taking place. She had to admit the place was marvellous. Light and dark-blue shades mixed together painted the walls. The floor was made out of marble, and the ceiling was decorated with crystal chandeliers. She thought it was fitting. After all, Kara deserved nothing but the best. Speaking of the Kryptonian, she had still not arrived, which gave Lena a few more moments to think everything trough. Her plan was simple. She was going to wait for Kara to claim her reward and talk to the people in the audience. Then the green-eyed woman hoped to find the hero alone, so the two of them can have the conversation they were supposed to have months ago. This time she would not run. She was determined to stay no matter what happened tonight. If Kara wanted to scream at her, then she would listen, but she was done running. Her internal monologue was interrupted when she saw a certain redhead coming her way. Now, this conversation, she was scared of. Lena was well aware of the lengths Alex was willing to go to protect her sister. It didn’t matter whether it was a physical or emotional threat the elder Danvers was very protective of her sibling. Lena’s only hope was that Sam had explained beforehand everything and that the older woman wasn’t currently carrying a gun. As the agent approached, the CEO smiled politely and waited.

“Good to see you are alive, Luthor,” said the redhead with a snarky tone.

“Hello, Alex.” the younger woman replied respectfully. She could’ve easily returned the snarky remark, but that wouldn’t help her. After all, she was trying to convince the agent that she wasn’t here to hurt her sister.

“Look, I don’t know exactly what you are planning, but I swear to God if you hurt her again, you will regret it.” continued the older Danvers in a serious tone.

“I know, and I swear I’m not here to cause any harm. I want to talk to Kara. Didn’t Sam tell you?” questioned the green-eyed woman.

“She explained the basics. She told me that you wanted to talk to Kara at least one more time.” stated the brown-eyed woman.

“And you are okay with that?” asked the young Luthor surprised by the sudden acceptance.

“It doesn’t matter whether I’m okay with this or not. It’s what my sister needs. At least that’s what I think she needs. I have to warn you she is not the same person she was before. After you left, she changed. She stopped hanging out with us, cancelled game nights and is barely talking to any of us. She has also completely thrown herself into her work as a reporter and rarely goes out as Supergirl. I have no idea what to do. You have to fix this, Lena.” the last part was said almost pleadingly, and the CEO was beginning to understand just how much damage her stupid actions had caused. However, that didn’t change her mind about her objective tonight. If anything, it further proved the need for Kara and her to talk. It’s why she spoke her next sentence with a surprising amount of determination in her voice.

“I will do everything in my power to fix this, and I am deeply sorry for the pain that I caused.” The two women didn’t have the time to continue their conversation as the ceremony was starting. The older Danvers went back into the crowd to congratulate her sister, but not before casting Lena one final warning glance. The presenter started speaking, and for a moment, the raven-haired woman was reminded on the night when Kara won her first award. She remembered everything that night as if it was yesterday. The young Luthor focused once again on the present and reminded herself that this is what mattered. The past is the past, and she couldn’t change that. However, what happened now she could change. It was time for Kara to give her speech, and Lena found herself wondering what her friend was going to say. 

“Thank you all for coming tonight! It is an honour for me to receive this award for the second time in my career. If there is something I could dedicate this speech to, it would be never to give up. To always keep going, no matter how hard it gets and to always remember that anyone can be a hero. You don’t need to have special powers or to be from an alien planet to help others. As a journalist, I have to uncover the truth and to keep people informed, and that’s what I am planning to keep doing. Thank you!” 

The audience started clapping and congratulating the Kryptonian, but Lena was once again lost in her thoughts. During the entire speech, she couldn't help but notice how fake Kara sounded. She was still grateful, but her voice was devoid of any emotions. There was no hope, no joy, nothing. Furthermore, the CEO managed to get a good look at the reporter’s face and saw nothing but a fake smile and stone-cold eyes. Her hopeful smile and bright eyes were gone. It killed Lena to know that she caused this. All this pain and suffering was caused by a decision she made. She had to fix this now. When she looked towards the podium again, Kara was gone. Lena quickly scanned the crowd in hopes of finding the woman she loved. After several moments she noticed that the hero had retreated towards a balcony and was gazing towards the stars. Gathering all of her courage, Lena started walking in her direction. It felt as if everything had slowed down. Once she reached the balcony door, she managed to take a closer look at her friend and couldn’t help but be amazed by her beauty. Kara was the most beautiful being she has ever seen. The reporter wore a magnificent blue dress that complimented her eyes and had braided her hair in a perfect braid. The CEO could stare at her for hours. The young Luthor was snapped out of her trance by Kara’s voice.

“Lena…What are you doing here?”


	3. New beginnings

The Kryptonian couldn’t believe her eyes. It couldn’t be real. Lena Luthor was standing in front of her in all of her glory. Kara was utterly stunned. She didn’t know what to do, what to say. The reporter was almost sure this was a hallucination caused by her unhealthy lifestyle. She was absolutely lost and had no idea what was going to happen next. Why was the Luthor here? What did she want? She hadn’t come all the way from Metropolis just so she could see Kara, right? There had to be another reason. Perhaps the world was ending again, and they hoped to convince Kara to put on the suit and help. Kara’s head was full of similar questions, while she tried and failed to understand why exactly was her ex-best friend, the woman who abandoned her, the person who she cared most about and had feelings for, was showing up out of nowhere. Unable to find any answers by herself, the blue-eyed warrior looked towards the raven-haired woman expectantly, almost demandingly. She barely found the strength to say her next sentence.

“Lena...What are you doing here?” the blonde asked, still unsure if any of this is real.

“I...I came to see you. I had to see you. You have to understand, Kara I have missed you so much and I know I hurt you, but I just had to be here tonight. There’s something important I need to tell you.” Her little speech was interrupted by the dry, humourless laugh that escaped the Kryptonian’s throat. She was a little shocked and looked towards the blonde. When she caught her gaze, Lena had the urge to hide. There was so much emotion hidden behind her beautiful sapphire eyes. So much hurt, frustration and anger. She expected all of that, and yet she didn’t know what to do next. What could she do to fix this? What could the Luthor say to undo this? The answer was simple. There was no way to undo it. They couldn’t just go back. All they could do was try and move forward. The CEO tried to continue with her explanation, hoping she was able to make the blonde believe her. Hoping to convince Kara that she cared, that she was regretting her decision and wanted to be with her, but stopped when the Kryptonian spoke with a harsh tone she hadn’t heard before.

“I have to understand?! Do I have to understand how you just left me?! How you abandoned me like I didn’t even matter, like everything we’ve been through meant nothing. As if you didn’t just ignore four years of friendship and walked away?! Please, do tell how exactly I am supposed to do that? You know, I have been abandoned so many times and lost so much throughout my entire life, but I thought you were different. I had faith that after we were finally safe, we could mend our relationship and move forward. I guess I was wrong.” During the time, the Kryptonian spoke there was just so much anger and sadness in her voice. Lena hated herself for being the cause of that. The green-eyed girl noticed that Kara was about to leave and immediately went to stop her. There was no way she was letting Kara go this time. Lena was determined to say what was on her mind and make sure that the reporter heard her. She moved so that she was now directly in front of the other woman and continued talking.

“I understand that I hurt you, Kara, and believe me I would do anything to undo this but I can’t. We can’t go back and change the past. All we can do is move forward, and I need you in my life, darling. I love you.” There it was. Her biggest secret was now out in the open. The young Luthor finally found the courage to say what she should’ve said months, years ago. Now, all she could do was hope that her friend understood. She was praying to every god out there that the blonde understood her and didn’t push her away. Her hope, however, disappeared when the Kryptonian spoke again.

“No...no you don’t get to do this. You don’t get to leave and then come back out of nowhere saying that you love me! If you truly loved me, then you wouldn’t have left in the first place.” When those words left her mouth, Kara was barely able to hold herself together. So many emotions were brimming in her chest. So much hurt, sadness, anger, disbelief. Everything was just too intense. She felt like her world was collapsing. The blue-eyed woman had been able to keep going during those last few months by silencing any feeling that she might encounter. That system, however, was barely keeping up with the number of emotions Kara was holding inside of her. Her unhealed trauma, the losses she has been through, the heartbreaks she had to endure. All of this came crashing down on her, the moment Lena uttered those words. If the circumstances were different, the Kryptonian would be happy, even excited. She would gladly say them back. In this situation, however, those words only fulled her anger further. How dare she do this? How dare Lena say this after everything she has done? The blonde couldn’t care less if the Luthor had worked with her brother. She wouldn’t even care if she tried to take over the world. That’s how much Kara loved the young genius. She could forgive her almost anything. Kara had forgiven her a long time ago about working with Lex. The reporter understood the pain her friend was in when she learned of Kara’s secret. The reporter would never hold it against her. Abandoning her, however, that she wasn’t able to forgive. It just hurt too much. After the emerald-eyed woman left, Kara was feeling worthless, as if she didn’t even matter. That hurt more than any kryptonite she has ever encountered. Kara started to have trouble breathing. She had to leave. Her powers were getting out of control. It was almost like the first time she had discovered her abilities on Earth. The alien did the one thing that helped her in a situation like this. She flew. She launched herself towards the sky, ignoring Lena’s voice telling her to stay, begging her to listen. The hero couldn’t talk anymore. She couldn’t even hear anything. Her superhearing was out of control, and she was having trouble keeping her heat vision in check. She just soared through the air. The reporter didn’t care if anyone was going to see her. She couldn’t care less if someone found out about her secret identity. All she wanted was to get away. To make all of these emotions stop. She was tired of always feeling angry, sad, hurt. The blue-eyed alien just wanted it all to stop. So she flew until she could barely keep her eyes open. She exhausted herself to the point of not feeling anything. For a while, that seemed to work. The storm of emotions, raging in the blonde’s head seemed to have subsided, at least for now. Feeling all of the exhaustion catch up to her, combined with the lack of sleep during the last few months, the Kryptonian found herself unable to keep flying anymore. The girl headed toward her apartment in hopes of finding some peace and quiet there. She barely managed to close the front door before tears were streaming down her face. For the first time in months, the blonde allowed herself to be vulnerable. She was finally letting all of the build-up emotions into the open, and it felt good. It felt freeing. The hero collapsed onto her couch and just cried for what felt like hours. Her tears seemed to be endless. The reporter just curled herself into a ball and tried her best to let it all out. Kara lost herself in her little world and couldn't hear the knocking on her door.

On the other side of the apartment’s entrance stood Lena Luthor. The woman was hoping that her alien friend was inside. Otherwise, she had no idea what to do. When Kara had flown away, the Luthor felt her heart breaking into pieces. Not for herself, she expected that much and more. However, Lena felt immense sadness for the blonde. The CEO realised that her words possibly caused even more damage, and she hated herself for it. Why couldn't she fix this?! The young woman tried to look for the reporter but was unable to find her at the venue. She asked numerous people but received the same answer. No one knew where the taller woman had gone. The young Luthor could only hope that the hero had chosen to come back to her apartment and not flown away to another city or country. Even worse, she could have gone to The Fortress of Solitude. If this were the case, then the young genius would be out of options. She was The CEO of multiple companies, going to another city or country just to find the woman she loved was something she could easily do. Going to The Fortress, however, was something the raven-haired woman could not achieve. Lena braced herself and knocked on the door. When she received no answer, she tried again and again.

“Kara, it's me. Please let me in, love.” pleaded the younger woman. She was unsure why she used the nickname, but it just felt right. Her feelings for the reporter were too overwhelming. When she didn’t receive a response again, she started losing hope. Just when she was about to leave and continue her search for the hero elsewhere, she heard sniffling from inside of the apartment. Lena decided to act and gently opened the door. The sight in front of her broke her heart. The living room was dark, and the curtains were closed shut, blocking any light from coming in. The Kryptonian was sitting on the couch in a fetus position and was crying like there was no tomorrow. Lena also noticed that the blonde was hugging her knees and desperately trying to comfort herself. The young genius wanted to do nothing more than to ease Kara’s pain but was unsure how to proceed. She was aware of how sensitive the situation was and knew that anything she did or said could have enormous consequences for both of them. The last thing she wanted was to hurt the other woman more than she already had. Slowly, the CEO moved towards the couch, making sure not to scare the blonde. She sat at the far end of the old couch and for a moment considered her next actions carefully. Then the green-eyed woman wrapped her arms around her friend and just held her. Lena held Kara as she sobbed and rubbed slow circles across her back. Some time had passed, and Kara was no longer crying but had still buried her face into Lena’s chest. The blonde seemed to be slowly coming back to her senses because she jumped away when she noticed the position she was in.

“Lena...I...uh didn’t mean to do that. What are you doing here?” asked the Kryptonian. She didn't sound angry like before. The taller woman seemed scared and confused.

“I told you I am not leaving this time. Whatever happens, I’m always going to be here for you. I know I’ve made many mistakes in the past, but I hope that in time you can forgive me. I am so sorry for helping Lex and aiding his vicious plans. I know you are angry because I trusted him over you I just…” Lena didn’t manage to finish her apology as she was yet again interrupted by the hero.

“This isn’t about Lex!” Kara didn’t mean to shout, but she couldn’t hold back her frustration any longer. She continued with a quieter but firm voice. “I am not angry at you because you chose to work with your brother, Lena. I understood why you did what you did and forgave you a long time ago. I know I hurt you by not telling you the truth, and I could never be upset with you for the way you chose to deal with my betrayal.”

“You... you forgive me? I don’t understand….what have I done to upset you so much then?” questioned the pale woman.

“Rao, for someone with your level of intellect, you can be oblivious sometimes.” huffed the Kryptonian. She was starting to get irritated again and picked her next words carefully.  
“I am angry because you left without even saying goodbye. You didn’t even bother notifying me that you are alive. You just disappeared. I had to find out from the media that you were moving away. I thought that after everything we’ve been through, we were going to at least talk about what happened. I thought that I deserved at least a note, but apparently, I was wrong. I mean I should be used to it by now, I’ve dealt with loss and abandonment plenty of times... I just believed you were different. You were the only person who understood me, the real me. Even before you knew I was an alien, you still made me feel human. You were the only person who ever made me feel normal. Losing you felt worst than leaving Krypton. You just...you mean so much to me and the scariest part about all of this is that I think your feelings aren’t one-sided. I think I love you too and that terrifies me because I can’t help but believe you are just going to leave again... ” Telling the brunette all of this made the reporter feel both free and scared at the same time. She was glad that she managed to finally tell the CEO how she felt, both the good and the bad. However, it was also terrifying because she was now solely at Lena’s mercy. Her heart was right into the open, and she was more vulnerable than when she exposed herself to Kryptonite. When she looked at the emerald-eyed woman again, the blonde noticed that she had moved and now was directly into her personal space. At first, Kara was confused and tried to speak, but Lena was faster. The raven-haired woman gripped her chin, looked her in the eyes and began speaking.

“I want you to listen to me very carefully. I am never going to abandon you ever again, Kara. I understand that I have made a terrible mistake, and I am going to do everything in my power to fix it. You have nothing to be afraid of because you are the person I love, and I will do anything to prove that to you. I love you, Kara Zor-El.” There was so much determination and love in Lena’s voice. Now, the Kryptonian found herself believing the Luthor’s words. She now knew that the businesswoman was completely honest. However, the hero didn’t exactly understand what this meant for both of them. What was going to happen now? The young genius seemed to be reading Kara’s thoughts. The two women were still aware that they were only inches apart. Was this actually happening? Slowly, Lena leaned towards the Kryptonian, giving her enough time and space to back out if this wasn’t what she wanted. The brunette finally closed the distance between them. The kiss started slowly at first, both women holding back, too scared to hurt each other, then it got more passionate. Years of emotions and repressed feelings were poured into one intimate act. Eventually, they had to break the kiss because of the need to breathe but remained cuddled together. The CEO was the one who broke the silence.

“I love you so much, darling. I just hope I can prove it to you. If that’s what you want, of course.” It was clear that the younger woman was uncertain. Sure the pair shared an intimate moment, but it didn't exactly solve their problems. Where did this new development leave them? The Kryptonian sensed the Luthor’s hesitation and quickly reassured her.

“I want this, Lena, I want to be with you more than anything. I want to hug you, to hold your hand, to kiss you and to wake up next to you, but I need to take things slow. I would like to enjoy every little moment together. There’s no point to rush anything.” Kara hoped that taking things slow wouldn’t change the brunette’s mind. She wanted to give their relationship a chance but didn’t want to do anything rash. Besides, the blue-eyed reporter wasn’t exactly an expert when it came to relationships with women. Sure, she had been with a couple of girls during her college years, but this was different.

“Of course we can take things slow, Kara. I would never want to push you into something you are not ready for. Just promise me you are not going to shut me out. If we want this to work, we have to communicate. If at any point there is something that’s bothering you, I want you to tell me.” spoke the young Luthor softly.

“Alright, but you have to remember it goes both ways. When something is bothering you no matter what, know that I will always listen, I will always be there for you, and I will always protect you.” promised the blonde woman.

“Ok, now what?”

“Well, you could join me for lunch tomorrow? If you want to it could be our first date.” said the alien hopefully.

“I would love to go on a date with you, Kara” smiled the Luthor charmingly. “Until then, maybe we could order some food and watch a movie? We have a lot of catching up to do.”

“Sounds great! You know my order, right?” replied the hero excitedly.

“Of course I do. Only the best pizza and potstickers for my favourite Kryptonian” grinned the emerald-eyed woman. Kara just looked at her and flashed her a toothy grin. The pair still had a long way to go if they wanted to rebuild their trust and move forward, but the two women could achieve anything they wanted if they were together. Alone they would fail, but together they were unstoppable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story until the end! I hope that it was enjoyable. Leave your thoughts and suggestions down in the comments.
> 
> Stay safe and healthy <3


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